Fintech adoption speeds up in Australia
Australia is growing faster than most of the global markets and is now outplacing the US in terms of fintech adoption, says Noah Breslow, the chief executive of US online SME lending company OnDeck Capital, which has delivered more than $US8 billion in loans to 80,000 small businesses globally. He told the third AltFi Australasia Summit in Sydney on Monday that Australia is now the second-largest alternative finance market in the Asia-Pacific region. “We are looking at an industry that did $10 million of annual volume – these are numbers from KPMG in 2013, and in 2016 that had grown to $220 million.” Breslow said according to OnDeck estimates, “based […]
Novatti makes commercially astute blockchain move
Online payments processor Novatti Group (ASX: NOV) has made a commercially-astute move into blockchain payments by integrating its proprietary payments platform with The Stellar Network, an open-source protocol for exchanging money used via shared servers and “forming a global value exchange network”. In essence, Stellar is a blockchain-payment and asset transfer platform connecting banks, payment systems and customers with a network of low-cost financial services providers, including financial institutions, payment aggregators and technical specialists. The prime feature which attracts users is the commonly-shared commitment to support a new and inclusive global infrastructure for payments. Stellar is growing rapidly and sports a proprietary “native asset” digital currency called the Lumen. Its […]
School’s out: a budgeting lesson for kids
By Mario Hasanakos, Founder of Spriggy While the school holidays are a wonderful opportunity for parents to spend quality time with their kids, it can end up being an incredibly expensive few weeks. Between family outings, playdates, daytime entertainment and meals on-the-go, just a few days in and it can seem like you’re constantly reaching for your hip-pocket. We live in an increasingly cashless society and while kids might see you tapping away with your card, it can be difficult for them to understand where that money comes from and what it means. Given that a third of parents are concerned their kids don’t understand the true value of money, […]
OnMarket closes world’s most popular equity crowdfunding offer
Equity crowdfunding platform OnMarket has successfully closed the world’s most popular equity crowdfunding offer. Solar energy retailer DC Power Co. has crowdfunded close to $2.5mil from over 15,000 investors. DC Power Co. is “Australia’s first solar-focused energy retailer” which offers to optimise household solar systems to use less energy and earn more money. Equity crowdfunding is the new way for everyday investors, mums and dads, and the millennial generation to invest in early-stage and growth-stage businesses. Where traditionally, this capital raising space was dominated by wealthy individuals, venture capitalists and angel investors, now everyone is able to handpick a company, invest and gain a stake. OnMarket Managing Director Rosie Kennedy […]
Open banking will drive better customer deals and responsible lending outcomes for mortgages and credit cards
The first phase of Australia’s open banking regime should be designed to assist Australians get a better deal on mortgages and credit cards.
Fintech start-ups threaten mortgage broking old guard amid royal commission heat
The emergence of fintech disrupters to the lucrative mortgage broking industry is being driven by three key dynamics. First, banks pay $2 billion a year in commissions to mortgage brokers for the delivery of home loan borrowers – but want to pay less. Second, the Hayne royal commission is investigating whether current broker pay structures create conflicts of interest and exploring better ways to serve customers. Third, technology is making self-service easier, and “open banking” will put customers in control of their data, including all the information required to make a mortgage application. So enter the mortgage broking entrepreneurs and a bunch of start-ups ruffling the feathers of the powerful […]
Competition and profits see cryptocurrency exchanges get creative
How do you disrupt the disruptors? New exchanges are digging deep for a competitive edge. The ability to seamlessly cross borders is one of the consistent features of all cryptocurrencies, and the top exchanges tend to service customers from almost every country in the world. The biggest names each pick up a significant percentage of what might be a multi-trillion dollar market in coming years, and is already well into the multi-billions. Consider Coinbase for some perspective. It’s perhaps the USA’s biggest name in crypto, but its GDAX exchange is only the tenth largest by volume. Note that the trade volume figures should be taken with a grain of salt, […]
Fintech numbers causing a revolution
According to sources at disruptive Real Estate platform Next Address, the implementation of Fintech equity crowdfunding has sent their chatbots into overdrive with record enquiries and investors jumping on board. Julie O’Donohue, founder of the Australian company says it’s all about opportunity and empowering people. “People are loving the concept of helping us grow, investing directly with us from just $250 with a few perks that are making everyone smile. It has taken hard work by our entire team to make our platform the best, and now we are getting validation from everyday Aussies wanting to get on board. We made Next Address for the people, and now those very […]
